MALACANANG'S VULGAR PROTECTION OF LTO CHIEF!

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte says media sources at the DOTC are just trying to confuse the people with the supposed memo of outgoing DOTC Sec. Ping de Jesus to President Aquino recommending disciplinary action against LTO chief Virginia Torres.

Valte even appeals for an end to talks on the memo, simply because it couldn’t be found in Malacanang.

I say Valte is the one CONFUSING the people with her CHEAP, AMATEURISH defense of Pnoy in her DESPERATE attempt to avoid the issue.

The Torres story should be THOROUGHLY CLARIFIED, because it is A TEST of Pnoy’s oft-repeated vows of IMPARTIALITY and SINCERITY in providing good governance.

For if Pnoy’s shooting buddies and other cronies will perpetually get away with any and all accusations of wrongdoing against them, then WE DON’T HAVE a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

What we have is A GOVERNMENT OF PNOY, by Pnoy and for Pnoy and the people special to him.

The issues against Torres were specified in De Jesus’ supposed memo: refusal to pay LTO’s outstanding balance to information technology provider Stradcom Corp. and failure to come up with a new and cheaper private emission testing system for motorists.

A Department of Justice (DOJ) fact-finding committee has recommended that administrative charges be filed against Torres. This has not been done.

And there have been no reports of DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima rejecting the recommendation.

So the only other person who can reject the recommendation is Pnoy himself. This is what Malacanang should explain, memo or no memo.

This is the bottomline. This is not a case of De Jesus being pitted against Pnoy. It is the PROTECTION which is apparently being extended by Pnoy to Torres.

Valte’s claim that no copy of the memo could be found is EXPECTED.

Why would she present something that could help prove the BIAS of Pnoy in favor of Torres? Why would she admit to something that would be a HARD SLAP on the face of her boss?

The Philippine Star reported that it had a copy of the memo. It even quoted portions of the memo in its story on De Jesus and Torres.

I’m a former newspaperman and I know for a fact that newspapers don’t come out with stories as sensitive as that WITHOUT DOCUMENTARY BASIS.

So if Malacanang really wanted to find out the truth about the memo, then it should have first talked with The Star, instead of simply saying they can’t find it

But they DID NOT, or would rather not. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.

f you want an end to the Torres-De Jesus issue, Ms. Valte, there’s only one thing to do- DISCIPLINE TORRES. 30